Threads
by Della Ithilien
Summary: After mysterious events plague Link, a former knight and reluctant rancher, and Zelda, a financially struggling barmaid, their lives collide time and time again. Dark forces have begun gathering, and their search for the Triforce bearers grows desperate sending both Link and Zelda's lives into jeopardy along with everyone they know. AU (on hiatus possibly forever)
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Well this is exciting! This is my first AU! Okay, so here's the world: the story is set in a world where all the games' worlds are one. So Hyrule, Termina, Labrynna, Holodrum, etc, are all in the same world, just different kingdoms basically. Could I have said "world" more times just now? In this first chapter, we start in the neighboring realms of Termina and Hyrule, so everywhere co-exists on the same map. Despite being in these worlds, the Link and Zelda aren't from any of the games. I think that's all you need to really know going in._

 _I'm working on three writing projects right now, two of them being fanfics, so updates will probably be every other week while I work on other things. But hey, if you get bored waiting and need something else, you can check out my other Zelda stories (that wasn't subtle self-advertising AT ALL)._

 _T for violence and there's usually something dark about what I write but I haven't gotten there yet, so "darkishness" probably will also be why it's T. Reviews are highly appreciated, especially if you've done AU's before or read them, because this is outside my comfort zone. But it's still fun! So here you go! I'll stop talking/typing!_

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Zelda sat on the barstool for about one second, desperate to rest her aching feet. She'd been on them all day, first at the Stock Pot Inn, and then now at the Milk Bar Latte.

Behind her, there was a loud banging of a broom against the bar. She turned wearily to Mr. Barten, unmoved by his attempts to rouse her. "What in tarnation are ya' doin' sittin' like that?"

Zelda sighed, moving the one strand that had fallen from her carefully braided back blonde hair. "No one is here yet, Mr. Barten. I just am tired recently."

"It ain't the anniversary, right?"

Zelda knew what he meant immediately and shook her head. "Not yet. It's coming up though. She'd have been twenty-five this year. It's so hard to picture her any older than I am now. Five years is a long time."

Mr. Barten sighed, concerned until the door to the bar swung open and daily regular, Gorman, moped inside, taking his usual place at the end of the bar.

Zelda sprung to her feet and bent sympathetically down to the man's level. "You want your usual?"

He didn't respond intelligibly, but he managed a nod and a grunt. She took the broom from Mr. Barten, who'd already begun pouring.

The Milk Bar Latte would have gotten more customers a day if it wasn't so… special looking. Bright, neon coloring and stained glass it by candles shined blinding colors across the room, making it almost a pink or purple color. The bar was long, and there was a stage, but the only oyher place to sit was at the farr end of the bar, a small table covered in cow print, barely close enough to see the stage or hear the conversations from across the room. Zelda guessed that Barten had purposely created a bar-centric atmosphere to urge his patrons to drink, but it rarely worked. People wanted to talk, to hear, and to not be stared down and eaves-dropped on by the nosey Barten. On an average day, people were willing to make the short trip from Clock Town to Castle Town just to go to Thelma's Bar, with its rustic and practical wooden floors and cheery, friendly vibe given off by the several walls decorated with patron trophies and maps.

Zelda had to admit though, when there was a band, the Milk Bar would be packed, but on a slow night like today, it was clear that Thelma's was where everyone else would be. It was the hottest bar in Castle Town, in any town, really, and worth the trip.

As she continued to sweep the already immaculate floor, she wondered where she'd sleep tonight. The inn was full, and it was the only inn she could afford. She knew because she'd worked in several, though the Stock Pot offered her the best hours to have a second job. She still didn't have enough rupees to maintain a small home or shared home in town, so she had to make due. She'd sleep in the inn's spare rooms when there were some, exchanging extra hours for the use of a bed. When she couldn't do that, and couldn't afford another, she'd ask around for a friend to help her out for the night. Her last resort was usually sneaking into the inn, sleeping in the kitchen by the fire, and then leaving before Anju found her there.

The door opened again, and Zelda threw the broom behind the counter, rushing to a cabinet to pretend to look busy. She glanced at the customer with a routinely plastered on smile, forgetting about her sleeping arrangements for the time being.

The newcomer was handsome, though the way the purple lighting hit him made it appear so his skin was almost a grey color. He wore a long hat that pooled down his back and into a point, a long cloak over him. When he turned to her, she forced herself not to gasp. His eyes were a stunning red color, especially as the light from the bar bounced off.

"I'll be right with you," she said, recovering and putting a random cup from her hand down on the cabinet before rushing behind the bar. "What can I get for you."

When the man spoke, his voice was melodic, higher than she'd pictured, but it seemed to suit him well. "I have no preference, ma'am. Whatever you think is good suits me fine."

Zelda's smile tightened. "'Ma'am?' Have I gotten that old already?" Pulling a bottle off the shelf, she poured. It was a drink with a fruity taste, and one of her least favorites in the bar, though it was something Lulu seemed to love.

The man laughed and held his hand up apologetically. "Forgive me, _miss_ , I was only trying to be polite, not offend you."

Gorman raised his head and then slammed it back down into his arms as Mr. Barten refilled his cup. "They hide the pretty ones away in this place," he muttered without any indication of desire.

Zelda reached over and patted Gorman. "Don't worry, I love you most days, Gorman."

He grunted, and she laughed before sliding the drink over to the stranger. "Just Zelda is fine," she said, gesturing to the tag on her shirt.

"Vaati," he said, extending a hand towards her.

She took it. "Pleasure to have you here, Vaati."

Mr. Barten, for all he preached, was more direct and less censored when it came to customers, preferring to have a good time and make a new friend, it sometimes seemed, than trying to maintain professional relationships with returning customers.

"Vaati? Where are you from? That's an interesting name. And… well… I'm not sure if it's just like this where you come from, but you have a unique sense of style, too."

Zelda almost subconsciously adjusted the black overalls she wore over a white shirt, the bar uniform. No one noticed her though.

"It's quite common style of dress there, actually," he admitted before shaking his head. "Minish Village, that is. My home. It's a small village far outside of Castle Town. I'm here on business first, and then a sort of… spiritual retreat, you might say."

"Do you travel often?" Zelda asked, already beginning to daydream of all the places he might go.

"I recently started travelling, yes. It's quite fulfilling."

Her smile turned wistful and she pictured the peak of Death Mountain, the long bridge over Lake Hylia, and the infinitely white Snowpeak mountains. "You're very fortunate."

Vaati, with his strange red eyes, looked even more unearthly with the glow of the lights. "I did not come upon my fortune lightly. I did have to work for it. You see… when I want something… I make it happen."

* * *

Link looked around the farm land one more time, double-checking that all the Cuccos had gone inside the barn, along with the cows and the horses. As night fell, he felt all the more tired, longing to go back home and go to sleep. Malon, the ranch owner's red-headed daughter, ran outside and pulled her coat on over her blouse, hiking her skirt up so it didn't catch in the mud.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked eagerly. She looked around the ranch, nodding in approval at the lack of animals.

Link nodded, though his eyes felt as though they were ready to close. Offering Malon a hand, he pulled her up behind him. Malon would be staying with a friend in town for the night, so she didn't want to bring her own horse.

"You've been doing a great job around here," she complimented him as they rode out into the great expanse of Hyrule Field toward Castle Town.

He mumbled a thank you. It wasn't the job he had always dreamed of. That one had been ripped away from him, forever out of his reach now. Riding toward Castle Town, the sword on his belt kept banging against his leg, reminding him of his failure.

Riding over the long drawbridge, he slowed his horse, Epona, to a crawl, careful to avoid a staggering man as he attempted to cross the narrow path. Link veered around him, hearing Malon chuckle in his ear, and headed into the crowded market area. Even this late, a few stalls remained open, a long line never failing to block his way. Once he'd maneuvered through the crowd, he guided Epona down some steps to the almost hidden entrance to the bar.

Hopping down, he tied Epona next to several other horses and helped Malon down. She all but ran into the bar, and he followed slowly behind her.

When he pushed the doors open, the rustic, homey atmosphere almost immediately put him at ease, as did the face behind the counter. But before he could talk to her, he heard Malon squeal in joy.

He turned toward her and saw Cremia beside her. The two looked so similar yet had no relation between them. Both ran ranches, though Cremia's ranch was in the north, in Termina, just outside of Hyrule. From what Malon had told him, she'd recently inherited Romani's Ranch all on her own, while Malon still worked under her father, Talon. The two girls sat down in the crowded room, Link forgotten about, and he almost turned immediately for home, but a voice caught his ear.

"Honey, where do you think you're going?"

Link smiled and walked up to the bar wearily, immediately reaching to pet the long white cat that was lying on the bar as he looked at the woman behind it.

She was older, nearing forty, but he never failed to find something in the bar owner that endeared her to him, and the other way around.

"Telma," he said, a faux sultry voice that made her chuckle. "I would never leave without saying hello to you."

She reached under her bar and began pouring. "You almost did! I've never been so insulted by you. What did I do to deserve this?" Winking at him, she slid the glass over to the edge, eyed by the other patrons for his special treatment. For that reason, he downed the drink as fast as he could and slid Telma a rupee.

"I'd love to stay longer, Telma. I have to get back home."

She pocketed the rupee with an annoyed look. No matter how often she told him the drink was on the house, he'd always paid, and she stopped the futile offer after a while. "You come back soon then, Hon. I miss our dates."

He laughed and turned for the door. "Me too."

Three knights, still in armor, moved to block his way out. One of them took an aggressive step toward him. "They still let you in Castle Town, or are you breaking more laws?"

"Move, Cawlin," Link said, not meeting the other man's eyes. He was the same age, they all were, and he knew every one of them by name. Cawlin was shorter than he was, but he was wide with muscle, easily intimidating if it weren't for his laughable hair. On that front, he followed Groose, another knight, one who wasn't present. When the tall redhead wasn't around, Cawlin often took leadership over the group of knights.

Stirch, a tall, quiet knight with an equally appalling haircut and demeanor blocked the doorway. Cawlin stepped even closer to Link, though never touching. "Go ahead and try. I'll have you arrested for assaulting a knight. Maybe if you had become one, you'd be able to actually do something about it."

"Get out of my bar," Telma said, leaning over the counter. She hated most of the knights and soldiers in Castle Town, though she had her own reasons. "I'm the property owner, and not even you or your fancy title can change the law for your own sake. Now, leave."

The group obliged, though Cawlin stayed behind for another moment. "You need the old barmaid to fight your battles too?"

Link swung his fist at Cawlin's face, landing with a loud crack. Link turned and slammed one hand down on the counter as he shook out his fist. Cawlin had blood coming from his nose and narrowed his eyes at Link before leaving. It wasn't the first punch they'd thrown at each other, and it wouldn't be the last, but Cawlin knew who's side Telma was on, and it was clear that the patrons would also support her.

"Next time," she said loudly, ensuring that the entire bar could hear her, "Don't grab someone first. That's just begging to be punched in the face. Now you can leave." If anyone was asked, Cawlin had started the fight, grabbing Link first.

As Cawlin limped out the door, Link turned back toward the bar. Telma had a mischievous smile. "Nice punch, Hon, but don't defend me again. I can take care of myself, and I'm not worth you getting in any more trouble with the knights."

Link shook his head. "You are, Telma. You're one of the few people here who's worth a damn."

"You'll find a few more if you stop frequenting places those morons go to. I'm not telling you to stop coming to my bar, of course, but you go from home, to work, to here, to home. Branch out."

Link's smile tightened. He knew she was right, but hearing it didn't make him feel any better. "Speaking of that schedule, I have to get home. I'll see you next time, Telma."

She pursed her lips and flipped her red braids over her shoulder before tying them up. "Tell that uncle of yours that I said hello."

"Oh," Link said, stifling a laugh, "I absolutely will."

* * *

Zelda closed the bar down just after 2am, looking around longingly. If Barten didn't come in so early, she'd stay in the back room or his office for the night. Though she normally would have just gone to the inn, she noticed Vaati pull out a key of his own and enter. It left her feeling embarrassed, though he wouldn't see her. Well, he would during her shift tomorrow, but sneaking in right after him, she felt something wrong about it. She couldn't bring herself to use her key, to risk him going to get something to eat in the kitchen, or lingering in the lobby.

Turning on her heels, the night was beautiful, the perfect temperature. She was thankful as she hurried up the steps and glanced over to her old hideout. The Bombers had a secret hideout, though they'd recently gotten a lock to cover the entry when no one was there. She'd been a Bomber when she was younger and knew the passcode if anyone asked, but to break into the locked area felt beyond desperate.

If it hadn't been so late, she'd have walked to Romani Ranch which her friend and part-time bartender, Grog, worked at. But Zelda knew that tonight was just her own problem, a lack of forethought. She headed to the playground in North Clock Town, an area that wouldn't be populated by anyone until after her shift began in the morning at the inn.

Settling down behind the slide, Zelda grabbed her bag, taking out one of the small round tablets that she'd taken every night for years, the expensive medication that she found she could no longer go without. Though it was hers, given to her by the doctor in Kakariko Village, she felt the things should be illegal just for their intense potency. She put the remainder of the tablets away and put the bag under her head, using it as a pillow. She was grateful that Anju let her keep her bag of clothes in the employee closet of the inn, so she was left with very few things in her actual bag. After staring at the stars for a short time, her heavy eyes drifted shut and into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

It was a long ride back to Ordon, where Link lived with his uncle and sister. He'd be careful leaving the bar not to run into Cawlin or the others who might still be outside, but he had found the saddle straps on Epona were cut. Telma let him keep the broken one in her storage room for a while so he could get home, and he continued on bareback.

It barely affected him. He'd been riding horses for so long that if they'd told him to ride upside-down, he was confident that he'd find a way to. The ride was long though, and the night brought dangers with it. He kept one hand firmly on his sword while the other held Epona by the mane.

When he finally entered the village, he could see a short blonde girl resting her head against a bannister. He smiled softly and dismounted Epona, hoping she wouldn't wander too far in the night. She knew the area and he wasn't worried, but the young girl, he was concerned for.

Kneeling in front of her, he could see her eyes were closed under the cover of her bangs. Though she was twelve, Link scooped her into his arms and opened the door, careful to avoid whacking her against any of the furniture.

"You're late," she muttered sleepily against his shirt.

He continued toward her room and pushed the door open, laying her on the bed before answering.

"You shouldn't wait up for me, Aryll. Sometimes, I come home later. You know that."

Aryll looked too tired to argue and pulled up a blanket. "Then come home sooner."

Link didn't answer her; it was clear that she had already fallen back to sleep. He stepped out and closed the door a bit before gasping at the figure in front of him.

"Uncle," he breathed. "Why are you up, too?"

"Same reason your sister was," he said, also tired. "You have a good time at Telma's?"

Link rolled his eyes and put his sword down by the door. "I only had one drink, Uncle."

"Your father was killed by a drunk, and he'd had too much that night to defend himself. You know how much that stuff disgusts me."

"I know," Link said patiently as he laid across the couch, kicking off his boots. He didn't have the energy to make it up to his actual bed.

Link's uncle sighed, giving up his fight for the night and retreating to his own room.

Link quickly began to dream, almost as soon as his eyes had closed.

Screaming. There was so much screaming. He couldn't make out any individual voices, and the room was filled with meandering shadows, each calling out in different voices, making different sounds.

He could feel himself breathing heavier and faster as he spun around. One voice was becoming clearer amidst the others: his sister. He pushed past the shadows, toward to her voice, but it never sounded any closer. He pushed more frantically until suddenly, it stopped. All of it. And he was left alone in a silent white expanse.

* * *

The next morning, Zelda went into the Stock Pot Inn early to wash up. She used the washroom and changed into her uniform: a simple skirt and blouse, like Anju wore. Only Anju's mother didn't follow the uniform, preferring to wear what she wanted. Perks of ownership, Zelda thought.

At 8am, Zelda unlocked the front door and sat behind the counter, planning the rest of her day. On her break, she could go to the Laundry Pool and clean her things off before work at the Milk Bar Latte later tonight. It would be a busy night; the band was playing and had fans had filled the inn. But they were only playing for one night before they headed out on a small tour. Indigo Go's were the most popular band in Hyrule, and Zelda felt lucky to call the lead singer her friend.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice Anju standing in front of her.

With a smile reserved for customers, Zelda bowed. "Welcome to the Stock Pot Inn. Do you have a reservation?"

Anju snorted and reached across the counter, grabbing something before sliding it into her pocket. "No, but I do have a date."

"Oooo," Zelda cooed. "Where are you and Kafei going?"

Anju shrugged, an excited grin spreading along her face. "He's surprising me."

"Have fun then! Don't keep wasting time talking to me!" Zelda shooed her friend from the building and heard thudding footsteps come down the stairs. She turned and saw Vaati staring at her.

"I thought I heard a familiar voice," he mused.

She looked around her, guiltily. "Yeah. I work here, too."

He walked toward the desk, leaning on it casually. "If I go explore the town, will I see you working somewhere else as well?"

Zelda scoffed. "Well, you used to find me at the _Daily Game_ , but I got fired so a certain someone could stand on a revolving platform and make out with his fiancée. They changed the name to the _Honey and Darling Shop_. If you don't look at them, it's actually a pretty great place to go. And I'll be in the bar tonight, as usual."

"Do you live _here_?" Vaati asked curiously.

Hesitating, Zelda cleared her throat, wondering what to say to that. "Um, yeah. I have one of the beds when the inn isn't full."

His red eyes didn't dull in the morning light. It hadn't been a trick of the bar's lighting. "And when the inn _is_ full?"

She smiled nervously, but didn't have to answer, as the postman came through the door at that moment with a handful of mail. Vaati left her alone to go back up to his room, and she felt a wave of relief as he did.

She liked him. He was nice enough, and clearly in town for a little while. It seemed unlikely that she'd be rid of him quickly, so she was resolved to befriend him if he wanted, even despite a deep pit that had begun to form in her stomach as she thought of him more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Despite the hours that Link had been awake, he felt the burden of his dreams weighing heavily on him. His eyes were still heavy, drooping even as he sat atop Epona and attempted to count the Ordon Goats on the ranch for the fourth time. Each time, he'd come back with a different number and had to recount. This time, he was on 14… or was it 24. There was a four in there somewhere.

Running a hand along his face, he sighed and began again, starting with the ones nearest to him. Ever since the goats have been escaping, him and Fado, the other ranch hand, have had to keep a closer eye on the livestock. Just a few weeks ago, Link had found a missing goat in the woods.

"Hey! Big Brother!"

Link turned toward the fence and the large, locked gate. Fado poked his head from outside the barn to see what was happening. Link rode closer to the entrance, losing count of the goats once again.

"Aryll?"

The bright-eyed young girl propped her body up against the wooden post. "I missed you! Can I help?"

"I'm at work, Arry. If I did this for fun, yeah, you could help. But this is my job."

"You _always_ work! You're here, you're at Lon Lon! When do I get to hang out with you again?"

"Aw, Link," Fado called. "You can let her help. I won't split your pay, if that's what you're worried about."

Link turned back to his eager-eyed sister. She was hopping up and down excitedly. With a roll of his eyes, he held out his hand.

Aryll let out a joyful squeal and took his hand as he lifted her over the fence and onto the horse. She was a small thing, still light enough that he didn't think his arm would pop out from the weight of her. He nodded at Fado, a thank you for letting her join. He knew that Aryll was struggling with him being gone at Lon Lon Ranch so often, and then here when he wasn't at the other ranch. His life was essentially just trying to balance his new apparent profession with his family. He knew how disappointed his uncle was with Link's dismissal from the Knights of Hyrule. It had been a family legacy that the men served as knights. While many women in their family had also served the Royal Family, Link was the first male in generations who'd break the tradition.

Turning his attention back to his sister, he slid off Epona, leaving her alone atop the horse. She was a fairly good rider, and he pointed to the goats.

"Your first job is to count those goats over there. Remember, you can't mess up!"

She rolled her eyes and gently kicked Epona forward, mouthing the number of goats as she counted.

Link jumped when he saw Fado beside him. "You're a good brother, you know that? My older brother never made an effort when he came home. Now, we don't even talk."

"I wonder what would have happened if I'd been a knight," he wondered aloud.

Fado tsked. "You can't be thinking of things like that. It wasn't meant to be, so it didn't come to pass. Now you don't let your mind stray to that path and you'll be all set."

Link started to laugh at his friend. "Did you visit the Wise Men while I was gone?"

Fado turned to Link with all seriousness. "Link, I _am_ a Wise Man."

Unable to hold back their laughter, both of them burst into hysterics. Link missed the easy companionship of Fado, who'd been his friend for years. While he'd been living and training at the academy, however, he lost touch with most of his friends from home. It was only recently that he'd reconnected with Fado and Illia, though the village kids treated him like a god, constantly asking him to teach them to fight. One of the kids, however, a boy named Colin, often offered a change of pace, asking Link to teach him to fish instead.

"Forty-eight!" Aryll called out, causing both Link and Fado to turn to her.

"How many?"

"Forty-eight."

Link and Fado turned to each other with an amused look of annoyance. Two missing goats today.

"You and Aryll do the Cuccos, I'll go look for the goats," Fado sighed as he climbed the fence, preferring not to open the gate and lose more goats.

Aryll chuckled. "Does that happen a lot?"

Link walked over and ran his hand through Epona's mane affectionately. "You've seen them in town, haven't you? They're little escape artists. Almost like you used to be when you were a baby. Mom used to go to get you from the cradle and you wouldn't be there, preferring to lay in the grass or wherever she was."

"Great," she scoffed. "I'm a goat."

"A cucco, too. You ran from all of us whenever we tried to get you inside."

"Was I that bad?" she laughed.

Link gestured to the cuccos. "Go ahead; try to round them up so you'll know how we used to feel."

And he was doubled over with laughter as he watched Aryll struggle to come close to any of the angry cuccos, who preferred to flap their wings in a panic and cluck incessantly as she chased them until they grew tired of her agitation and began to chase _her_.

* * *

Zelda leaned against the counter with the broom in her hand, avoiding sweeping the entryway of the Stock Pot Inn 0for the third time, watching the clock wind with a painful slowness.

"Are you that eager to get out of here?" Anju asked from behind her.

Zelda spun and couldn't help the squeak and nervous chuckle that she let out. "No, but you know that the Indigo-Go's are playing, and I'm so excited that I get to see the show, even if I'm working."

Anju tossed her red hair up into a bun before letting it down again. "Kafei and I are going as well. Can you hide one Chateau Romani behind the bar for us?"

With a playfully mischievous look, Zelda nodded. Anju clasped her hands together excitedly.

The clock made a loud clicking noise, the sound of the clock reaching an hour mark. Springing over the counter with the broom in her hand, Zelda laughed at Anjus's dismayed expression.

"You know it's only a few extra steps to go the long way."

"Where's the fun in that?" Zelda said with a smile, returning the broom to its place and already peeling off her nametag, stashing it under the desk before running to get her uniform for the Milk Bar from the closet. She still had five more minutes to get from here to the next-door building, so she took her time changing.

On the other side of the closet door, she could hear Anju. "Do you have a place to sleep tonight?"

"Actually, here!" Zelda said cheerfully. "Lulu offered me the spare bed in their room so we could hang out after the show before she heads back out on tour."

Anju laughed, "Where's my friendship perk? Lulu is a friend of mine, too."

"Maybe you can ask her for an autograph and then you can sell it."

"That's not a bad idea for both of us," Anju said.

Zelda emerged a moment later in her white button up shirt with black pants and suspenders. "You and Kafei could get a house."

Knowing it would be busy and warm, Zelda tied her hair up into a bun out of her face, though some wisps fell into her eyes, too short to stay firmly in place. Better than her entire head, she thought.

As Zelda was about to head out the door, Anju stopped her. "Zelda. Can't you just stop supporting him?"

Zelda smiled tightly, though she knew this conversation would come up tonight. Lulu was usually the one who mentioned her poor financial situation though, not Anju.

"I have to go, but I'll save you that bottle for whenever you're ready."

Anju nodded sadly, knowing that she wasn't going to get an answer.

Zelda jogged out the door and into the next building, eager to end the conversation with Anju before she'd have to hear it again from Lulu.

"Hi Barten!" Zelda called as she slid under the rope leading behind the bar that Barten put up whenever there was a show. The building was already packed and patrons were crowding every free space possible.

She saw one of the bartenders she was relieving slouched against the wall, looking miserable, as he often did. "Grog, you can go home now."

He sighed and slowly pushed himself off the wall. "You're never early, you know that? You're always right one time."

"That's how it works," she said, slipping on an apron. She was almost positive that he hadn't served anyone for at least thirty minutes and instead went to the other bartender to be caught up while Grog slipped into the back room to slink away.

Starting a fresh pot of coffee, she began to take care of several disgruntled looking patrons, quickly easing them back to a more positive mood. She didn't know how long it took her, but when she finally made her way to the back of the bar that was also roped off, she could see Anju, Kafei, and the entire Indigo-Go's band sitting together, laughing.

When Lulu noticed Zelda, she sprang up and ran toward her old friend, pulling her into the largest hug.

"Zelda! It's been so long! Why couldn't you have gotten today off so we could all hang out together?"

Zelda made a face and gestured around the room. "And miss out on these tips?"

Lulu rolled her eyes, though she couldn't have been less insulted. She'd known Zelda for years even when they were back in school. Back when her life had been normal.

"I know you have to get back to work," Anju said, joining them, dragging Kafei from where he sat. His blue hair bounced as she pulled him beside her. "But while we're all together, I have something I wanted to say."

Anju reached behind her back before holding out her hand, revealing a ring on her finger and a beaming grin across her face.

Lulu shrieked in excitement, grabbing at her friend's hand and examining the ring. Zelda hovered over it, almost as if she were too afraid to touch it herself, before pulling Anju into a massive hug, joined quickly by Lulu.

Zelda pulled herself away and moved to offer Kafei a hug and congratulations as well. Despite him being her closest friend's fiancée, she still didn't know Kafei very well. He showed up at the inn often, so it wasn't as if he was a stranger, but she could only recall one time that Anju had invited Zelda to sit and really talk with Kafei. So when she hugged his tall, lean frame, it was awkward.

She was more inclined towards Lulu's boyfriend, Mikau, who sat with an uncomfortable expression on his face. He was the lead guitarist of the popular band, but Zelda had spent more time with him and the other bandmates than she had with Kafei. She slid down next to Mikau and tisked.

"You know you're the next in line, right?"

He gave her a dirty look and let his fin extend to thwack her in the arm. "Don't you start, too. This is just going to give Lulu even more incentive."

Zelda made a fake interested face at him, and Evan, the band leader, chimed in. "He and Lulu aren't allowed to move forward in their relationship while they're a part of my band. I won't be entertaining a new singer or guitarist because these two had a fight or anything. They're lucky I let them date at all."

Mikau snorted. "You know how that went. You aren't our life bosses, Evan. Just accept that."

With a grimace over what she'd started, Zelda ducked away from the bandmates and back to Anju. "I'm going to get in trouble if I don't get back, but I've got your Chateau Romani behind the bar at any time, if you want to celebrate."

Anju and Lulu made an excited face, and Zelda just shook her head. "Okay, just give me a minute to make my rounds then it's all yours."

* * *

"You just hold it here," Link said, adjusting the hand of one of the rowdy village boys, Talo, as he held on to his toy sword. "Then swing like this," he said, moving Talo's arm to demonstrate.

"I got this!" Talo yelled, practically pushing Link away. He lunged forward toward his baby brother, Malo, with a loud _HYAHH!_ The younger boy barely flinched, looking unimpressed and bored, if toddlers could even offer such a range at once.

Malo looked at an older girl, Beth, and wriggled his eyebrows. "Now that's gonna show 'em monkeys!"

Beth flipped her short, strawberry blonde hair away from her. "As if. You looked like you were going to fall over."

"True," Malo said under his breath.

Talo stomped his feet in annoyance. "No! Link! Tell them! Tell them that I'm good enough to be a knight like you!"

Link smiled wryly, not wanting to betray his own emotions to the kids. "I'm not a knight. But keep practicing and one day you can be."

He turned to see Aryll and Colin, another boy in the village about her age, playing a game with a ball that they rolled around while clapping out a tune. Neither took any notice of him, or of the approaching figure.

"Still trying to get these kids into trouble?"

Spinning on his heels, Link beamed as his old friend, Ilia, walked into view. She shook her head at Talo. "Your mom wants you. And I'm sure she won't want to see that sword."

Talo grumpily placed the sword beside a training dummy and grabbed his brother by the hand, dragging him along. Beth lingered for a moment before deciding to follow.

"Beth has a crush on you!" Ilia said, grabbing hold of Link's arm.

He rolled his eyes. "She's not even old enough to have a crush. She's Aryll's age."

"She's a year older, but she absolutely has one on you." Her green eyes locked on Link's and he smirked.

"How do you know?"

She just laughed. "It's pretty obvious. Is my girl doing okay? You didn't hurt her, right?" Ilia headed towards Epona and ran a hand through her mane. "You let her get her 'hair' all tangled. If your hair was longer, you'd understand that pain."

"Your hair is short," Link argued, looking at Ilia's short but styled blonde hair.

Ilia gave Link a bland look. "Why do you think its short? Because I can't stand it long." She paused and saw Aryll watching them with Colin. "Isn't that right, Aryll? Long, tangled hair is no fun?"

Aryll's hand went to her pigtail braids. "Not at all."

Link turned his back to his sister so his voice would muffle. "Why are you coming in so late?"

Ilia's face reddened, and she shook her head as she started to walk. "I don't want to say."

"What?" he asked, now cutting her off physically. "Wait, what? Are you okay, or is this a good kind of 'don't want to talk about it?"

Her face flushed some more, and she glanced at Aryll and Colin. "I'll tell you later when they're gone."

"I can do that," he said with a mischievous nod. "I—" Link stopped short of whatever it was he'd planned to say lowered his voice. "Aryll, Colin! Come here."

The two kids ran over without question or hesitation, and Ilia turned to see what Link was so intently staring at.

At first, she couldn't see a thing. But soon, a wild shadow burst through the trees of Ordon's woods, and a tall woman collapsed to the ground in front of them.

Link thought she was a Gerudo woman at first glance. Her dark skin and colored, wide eyes had him questioning who this woman was. If she was a Gerudo, she was far from home.

Her short, white, close-cropped hair clung to her skin with sweat, while she clutched at her side with a long, black-nailed hand. Her other hand rested on her leg, just over a long, red tattoo that ran all the way from her waist to her ankle. And her clothes hid practically nothing of her body.

It wasn't like she'd been running for so long that she'd lost or taken off articles of clothing. It wasn't even that she'd been prisoner, and her proper clothes had been taken. The front of her long dress-robe covered only one shoulder and then ran down one side of her leg. The other hald of her body was only covering the basics, leaving everything else exposed. But the woman didn't seem to care.

"Please," she said quietly.

Ilia was staring, mouth open, at the woman, while Link pushed Colin and Aryll away and toward the rest of the village.

"Colin," Link started, "Go get your dad."

Colin and Aryll hesitated for a moment before running off towards the village.

"What happened? What's your name?" Ilia asked, bending beside the woman.

"Water…" the woman croaked. Ilia handed her her own flask and the woman guzzled it down greedily. "My name… it's Cia."

* * *

"Zelda!" Barten called.

Rolling her eyes, Zelda grabbed two new glasses off the top shelf in the back and tucked the dustpan under her arm before hurrying back into the front of the bar. She placed the glasses in front of Barten before hurrying over to the table who'd dropped their glasses.

She bent onto her hands and feet and carefully started to place the larger chunks into the pan. The bar was lively and loud. There was a band playing before Lulu, and then another act would go right before she was meant to sing.

Boredly placing the shards into the pan, Zelda couldn't help her ears wander to the girls' conversation at the table above her head.

"He's working at the other ranch, though," one of the girls said with a small whine in her voice. "I wish he was just at ours. Do you have any suggestions?"

A voice that was slightly familiar answered her. "You can offer him a raise, I suppose. But if he's doing the job, you have no reason to complain. I wish I had an experienced rancher helping us out. Grog does nothing, and Mama just plays with dogs all day. All I have for help is a little sister who's more concerned that ghosts want our cows than whether or not the cows want to eat."

The first girl sighed. "I'm sorry. That was selfish of me to complain."

Zelda could hear the silence that passed, an agreement from the second. But the girl finally did speak. "Well, I can't fault you. I know it's because you like him."

Zelda picked up the rest of the glass, spotting a small red line in her palm, and wrapped the glass away, pushing the rest into the pan with her broom. As Zelda stood, the girls at the table watched her with interest.

"I'm sorry about the mess," said the first girl. She was about Zelda's age, fiery red hair and an outfit that said she'd come straight from the ranch.

"It's no problem. Happens all the time," Zelda assured, looking at the second girl. Recognition washed over her at seeing the girl, but so did the shock of seeing how similar the two girls looked. It was eerie.

"Do I know you?" the familiar second girl asked Zelda.

"You deliver our milk products. I usually take the order. It's good to see you enjoying your work, Cremia."

Cremia slapped her hand on the table. "Yes! That's where I know you! It's Zelda, right?"

"It is."

"This is the Hylian rancher, Malon. She supplies Thelma's."

Zelda politely smiled, but her palm was burning, the small red line of blood from the cut glass stinging her whole palm. "I hope to see you both again soon, and enjoy your night, but I'm afraid I have to get going. No time to talk on the night the band plays," she said with a forced laugh.

The two ranchers either didn't notice her clearly false demeanor, or they were too polite to call her out on it. They bid her farewell, and Zelda rushed to dump the glass into the trash behind the counter, washing the blood off her palm just after.

"Are you alright?" asked a sultry voice.

Zelda spun quickly, splashing water everywhere. "I'm sorry!"

Vaati laughed, wiping some off his cloak. "Forgive me for startling you."

Zelda took in his outfit and tried to stifle a laugh as she handed him a towel. "What are you wearing?"

He feigned a hurt face before it softened up. "I'm the next act. Did I never tell you?"

Zelda eyed Vaati suspiciously. "No, you didn't. Why is that?"

He knew she worked at the bar, the bar which was most popular for its shows, and she'd seen the roster. The next act was called "The Sorcerers." A band… right?

"I didn't want you to get star-struck," he jested, but he cleared his throat at her expression. "I didn't want you to think that I was only talking to you because I'd be performing here."

"Are you a band? Like Lulu?"

He looked around the room and his eyes rested on an unfamiliar woman. "We're sorcerers. That woman over there? She's my partner. Veran!" he called. She looked annoyed at the summons, but still strode over with elegance that rivaled the Queen's.

"Yes?" she asked simply.

Zelda looked at the tall woman. She wasn't Hylian, but she couldn't pick out where she was from. Labrynna?

"Veran, this is Zelda. I've been bothering her for the past few days now. Zelda, my partner, Veran."

Zelda looked pointedly at him. "You're not bothering me." But she held out her hand to Veran, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Veran looked at Zelda's hand as if it were holding an outstretched sword. "I don't shake."

"Oh," Zelda said, smoothing her hand against her pantleg. "Sorry."

"She's shy," Vaati laughed, patting his friend on the shoulder.

Slick and sharp, Veran's gaze pierced his, though she didn't speak.

Zelda backed away awkwardly. "Well, break a leg when you both go on. I'll be watching for tricks!" She winked and all but ran back to the counter. If she ever thought Vaati gave her the creeps, it was because she'd never met Veran.

Grabbing the Château Romani, Zelda hurried over to Anju and slipped it onto the table discretely.

"Who was that?" Anju asked in a whisper.

"He's staying at the inn. Apparently, they're the next act. I keep running into him."

"Let us know if you need him off your back."

Zelda smiled at Anju and squeezed her shoulder before heading back behind the bar. She grabbed Barten by the sleeve before he could head into the back room. "I just wanted to make sure it was still alright that I take tomorrow off?"

He glanced at the calendar behind him and sighed. "I'd almost forgotten. Of course, do whatever you need to do, and our door is always open if you want a few friendly faces at dinnertime."

Zelda kissed his temple with a smile before grabbing a rag. "Thank you."

Blushing, Barten chuckled. "Ingo will get jealous if he sees my employee has a crush on me."

"He should be jealous!" Zelda said, quickly wiping up the counter. "He's lucky to have you, and so am I."

* * *

 _AN: OOOOO getting into it now! It took me a while to figure out which baddies I wanted where, and then I remembered Cia existed and everything fell together. So, I don't think I have much to say except that I need the next chapter to fill a gap I accidentally already made, but from then on, I'm very excited to write what I've been planning! And AriTheDoggo, I did draw the cover! It took me forever to figure out how to draw everything hahaha! It's much easier to just Photoshop a cover together like the "Heart" and "Spirit" covers. Thanks for reading this one, too!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Do you think she ate anything before coming here?" Colin asked as he peeked out from behind Link. Aryll was leaning against the wall, watching the woman breathe heavily.

Link shrugged. "We won't know until she wakes back up."

"Did you see how she was dressed?" Colin asked, wide-eyed.

Link chuckled and turned to Ilia. She kept her eyes down, lost in thought. Turning his attention back to Colin, Link nodded. "People from different places dress… different."

Aryll sighed. "Dad would have killed me if I wore something like that… right?"

Instead of Link, it was their uncle, who sat at the table beside Rusl, Colin's father, who responded. "If he didn't, I would have. It's too revealing." He turned his attention to Rusl. "The kids shouldn't be seeing that."

Before he could respond, the door opened and the mayor, Bo, Ilia's father, came into the room. "I ain't heard about anyone travellin'. I'll keep lookin', but she's come outta nowhere."

"Father!" Illia cried, reacting for the first time. "How could someone get into the village without you realizing it? What if she had been some great, evil creature?" She stood and offered Aryll and Collin her hands. "We should go. I think Epona could use some company right now."

The two followed her out, but not without a look back, missing the excitement before they'd even left the room.

"Rusl," Link asked, sitting forward. He'd always deferred to his oldest mentor. Rusl had trained Link long before he'd joined the Knights of Hyrule. "Do you want me to ride to get the soldiers? If there's a missing woman, or if she's hurt, we'll be the ones responsible for her."

Rusl, on the other hand, was always one for the chain of command. He looked to Mayor Bo for the answer.

"Hrmm," Bo said, scratching at his mustache. "Yes, perhaps that's the best course of action. I still wish we knew more about this 'Cia,' though." He snapped his fingers together, one of his quirkier traits. "Link, you go to work tomorrow, like usual. When you're done, go to Thelma's. Find out anything about Cia. Rusl, you'll take Tarin and see the knights."

Link's eyebrows furrowed. "My uncle? Who will watch Aryll?"

Bo's forehead wrinkled, but it was Rusl who clasped Link's shoulders seriously. "Link, your uncle and I are _retired_ knights. We can still get answers from them. You cannot take this task in place of your uncle."

"Because I was forced to leave."

"Yes." Rusl stepped back. He was never one to mince words. "Uli will watch her. You need to go as soon as you're done at work. Fado can manage here."

Link looked away, disgusted at his unwelcome station as a rancher. If he were a knight, he'd have been able to find out who this 'Cia' was before the morning light broke.

As it was, he had to get to sleep. His shift at Lon Lon would start early, and then the day would be a long one. He waited outside as Rusl and Tarin left on their horses. Each of them gave Link a regretful look.

He wished nothing more than to be riding beside them.

* * *

Zelda could feel her eyes getting heavier as she poured another customer a drink. But Vaati was on stage with Veran setting up a stand, and she was eager to see what 'The Sorcerers' would do.

It wasn't long until he swung his cape around, demanding the attention of the room with a dimmer light. One bright spotlight illuminated his body, and he laughed, eerie as it was.

"Good evening. Tonight, you will not see card tricks. I will not juggle, or pull a Blupee from a hat, though I'm sure you'd all like to be in possession of a Blupee, even for a moment. What we do is not a trick as many perform at the Carnival of Time. And so, before we begin, we'd like to thank you for your attendance. If you enjoy the show, please consider making a contribution to our pockets so that we might continue risking our lives for your entertainment." The crowd chuckled, despite being familiar with the speech given by every performer. Vaati nodded once and clasped his hands together. Zelda could have sworn she could see his cape swaying in the wind, despite being indoors. "Thank you. Let us begin."

The lights went out for a moment, the typical signal to the start of the show. Every server knew not to leave their spots when the speeches were done until they could see again, but it always drew a surprised gasp from the crowd.

A moment later, a much shorter time than Zelda had seem before, the lights returned. Vaati was no longer on the stage.

The murmurs of the crowd were showing their immediate interest, but Zelda could feel the hairs on her neck stand up.

"I often like to begin with a pleasant shock," his voice echoed. Zelda turned to see him standing in the back of the room. He could never have made it there so quickly. She watched him meander back to the stage amid the amazed faces. "But if every trick were done in the dark, you'd likely question my skills."

Zelda grabbed her tray and began to make her way around the room as he continued talking, showing small tricks as he did. Some of the customers were too engrossed in the show to even respond to Zelda's inquiries. She instead went to Anju and Lulu, taking the empty Château Romani.

"Do you need anything else?"

Anju turned to Zelda with excited eyes. "This guy is good!"

"He's done one trick so far."

"I might just hire him for my wedding," Anju said with mock superiority. Zelda chuckled and headed back behind the counter, serving the patrons at the bar while Barten watched the show with guilty pleasure. Zelda couldn't help but flick her eyes up to the stage every once in a while.

"Now, we seem to be missing something, Veran…" Vaati looked around dramatically. "Didn't the Sorcerers consist of three people as of our last show?

Veran looked as bored as she had at the table. "As I recall."

Vaati looked around again and made a show of seeming surprised as he spun the stand he'd set up earlier, revealing the back side to the audience. Painted onto the stand was a man. From the distance Zelda stood at, he looked almost like a clown. Looking closer, she wasn't so sure.

"Ahh," Vaati sighed. "Here he is! It seems our friend has gotten himself stuck once again. Yuga will not be happy to know we have left him here for a full show." He looked to the audience, his charming smile inviting them deeper into the show. "What do you say? Shall we hide from his ire, or take him from the stand?"

The crowd erupted into shouts, calling for the trick, of course.

Vaati gave everyone a rye look. "You're all horrible. You want to see us in trouble." He waited for the chucked to die down. "Very well. Let's see here…"

As he bent down to inspect the drawing, it moved.

Zelda had to blink several times to be sure of what she was seeing, but the painting had up and walked to the other side of the stand. Vaati looked out to the audience with faked wide-eyes, pretending to be shocked. He looked back down and reached to grab Yuga, but the painting moved once again.

The audience had been stunned into silence. There were gasps, but there wasn't a peep. Zelda herself had forgotten that she was meant to be serving. She was entranced by the real-life magic actually transpiring in front of her.

She'd had doubts, as anyone attending a show would, but before her eyes, the painting began to glow. Colorful sparkles, or more like paint splatters, began to spray off of it, followed shortly after by a tall man: Yuga. He's literally come out from the painting on the stand.

Her breath caught as she wondered how that had happened. She looked for a door, for some small space he may have been hiding. There were no trap doors on their stage, she knew that much, but there wasn't nearly enough room on the short stand from him to come out standing so tall as he did.

Vaati caught her eye and winked before turning back to his companions. "Yuga! What happened? How did you get yourself in that predicament?"

An airy voice, one alit with laughter, almost to a sinister fault, filled the room. "Why, I was squished! When we did our last show, I became trapped between this stand and a fast-moving barrel and was splattered straight back. I became a painting! You took so long to find me, I fell asleep waiting!"

The audience finally had life breathed back into them. They erupted into hoots and hollars, cheers and applause. Whistles from several people broke over the thunder, making all three of the performers stop to smile. Zelda found herself clapping along as well.

The three of them bantered a bit more, a time which Zelda was grateful to return to work. They continued on, picking a volunteer from the audience and bringing him on stage. Veran moved forward with a distinct sway to her walk, likely from her tight floor-length skirt. She smiled. "Tell me, darling, what is your biggest fear?"

"Why?" the man asked with a chuckle. "Are you going to make it appear in front of me?"

Veran shrugged innocently. The man laughed. "Dying, I suppose."

She circled him, like a vulture. "What would you say if I told you I could control you? It's not hypnosis, but a physical possession."

The man laughed again. "I'd like to see that."

"Would you really?"

"Yeah, sure!"

Veran stepped back, and her body began to shimmer until it seemed to move faster than the eye could keep up. A large black mass was in her place and it loomed closer to the volunteer. He didn't move, as if he was already possessed, but several members of the crowd gasped and jumped from their chairs, scurrying to the back of the room.

The dark mass loomed over the man and disappeared into him, making him turn a few shades bluer than he usually was. He stepped forward, the familiar sway of his hips immediately betraying his lack of control. Zelda couldn't believe her eyes. She was practically leaning up against the counter.

"What?" Veran asked in the man's voice. "Did you think I'd kill him? If only he'd been afraid of something simpler. But alas, we cannot choose our volunteers' fears."

The black mass appeared above his head again and shimmered until Veran was back in her place. The man didn't seem worse for wear, only mumbling his amazement as he practically stumbled off stage. Veran ignored the eruption of applause she also received, taking her place with hawk-like eyes scanning the crowd.

"Well," Vaati said, stepping to the front. "I suppose that means it's my turn."

Zelda tuned out his little audience-rallying speech, but her ears pricked up at the sound of Vaati's voice and the audible swivel of the audience.

"My dear blonde waitress," Vaati's voice rang. Zelda turned begrudgingly, uncomfortable with all eyes on her. "You looked rather enthralled with our previous trick. Would you care to be a participant in our next one?" He held his hand out to her and the room began to applaud.

With a look to Barten, who nodded his approval. Though she was wary, Barten had often said to do anything for the customers, never to refuse, and always to boost popularity. There was no way she could turn this down, no matter how much she might have wanted to.

"Why don't you tell the crowd your name?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Zelda."

"Pleasure to meet you. You make quite the drink, might I say! I had one earlier and it was just divine! Be sure to order all future drinks from this young woman here!"

The crowd laughed along with him, though Zelda couldn't hear the joke.

"Now, Zelda, have you ever longed to disappear? To vanish completely from sight?"

She could barely see with the blinding stage light in her eyes. "Occasionally."

"Well," Vaati said in a sultry voice, "Would you like to try? It's quick. You will feel like you've blinked."

Skeptically, she squinted at him. "Sure. Why not?" She was looking for a hint or a sign that he was going to give her, some means to hide and disappear, or a curtain that would fall over her.

"You may want to close your eyes, love," he whispered. But to the crowd, he simply raised his arms. "Please join me in a countdown! Five! Four! Three! Two!"

Zelda couldn't help but close her eyes as she heard the one. She expected to feel something drop around her, or for a pile of confetti to pop out of something. Instead, she heard murmurs, applause and gasps.

Opening her eyes, she nearly fell over. She was behind the bar once more.

Her hands started to shake and her eyes went to Vaati. He smiled, superior smugness radiating off of him. She grabbed the bar to steady herself and waited, stunned into stillness, until everyone had finally looked away and back to the stage where the show continued.

His magic was real.

"Barten," she finally managed.

He came over to her and placed his arm around her. "You're white as a Wolfos in the snow!"

"I think I have to go, Barten. I wasn't prepared for that… not really. I just… you don't have to pay me. I just have to go. I'm sorry." She headed into the back room and threw off her apron, draping it over a chair.

Barten popped his head into the doorway. "You remember what I said earlier about tomorrow, okay? You're welcome in our home, if you need it. Go take care of yourself tonight. And you _are_ getting paid."

* * *

 _A/N: Honestly, this wasn't meant to be an entire chapter; it was meant to be a short section last chapter, but a mistake in pacing made this happen which is why it's a shorter chapter than I usually do. But the next one is where I actually wanted to be, so that will be better, I promise. Plus, you see the actual plot unraveling instead of an unintentionally long magic show that introduces characters and real magic. Sorry about that if corny magic shows aren't your thing. There won't be one in the next chapter._

 _Guest (whoever you are, if you're still there) you're really spot-on! There's Yuga! And there's the possession! Not quite at the point where everyone's souls have been sucked dry, but you never know! I'm not sure yet if Ghirahim or Ganondorf will appear. I'm TYRING not to use Ganondorf, at least. Can't really speak for any of the other villains yet._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Link sat lazily in the grass, pretending to play with Cuccos. He was surprised no one noticed his horrible work ethic. It was a slow day. Everyone seemed tired already. It was early in the morning, and Link had barely gotten any sleep. His thoughts were on the mysterious stranger in the village. When he'd left, she still hadn't woken.

Talon walked by Link, glancing at him curiously but saying nothing. If anyone was likely to believe that Link was actually playing with the Cuccos, it was Talon.

"Link, what're you doin'? Is that my special Cucco?"

Standing, he didn't want to take any more chances. "No. Yours is in the house. I'd never take them out without your permission."

"Right," Talon muttered, heading back into the house with a yawn.

Link grabbed the brush off the ground next to him and went to the enclosure in the center of the ranch. All of the horses were in the corral, except for one horse who'd decided to take itself for a run. Link double checked that the gate to the ranch was closed before making his way over to Malon.

She was humming her favorite tune as she brushed out the horse in front of her.

"Have I told you about my night yet?" Malon asked anxiously. "I rushed in so fast this morning I can't even remember!"

"No. Anything interesting?"

Malon's eyes bugged out. "'Anything interesting?' Link, I saw the most incredible show! It was a trio of magicians. They called themselves The Sorcerers. So, one of them started the show by appearing on the stage from the back of the room. we were impressed, but we knew there was some trick to it. Then the next guy popped out of a painting! We still were thinking there was a trick door or something. It was me and Cremia. Then the woman called up a volunteer and said she was going to possess him!"

Link scoffed. "That sounds really invasive."

Malon rolled her eyes. "Well, he agreed to it so she took over his body. I mean, she literally disappeared and took over his body for a few seconds. I swear! She vanished and became him before returning to herself. It was so incredible. We were in shock!"

"Where was this?" Link interrupted.

"The Milk Bar Latte in Clock Town. We were there to see the Indigo Go's, but the Sorcerers really stole the show. I'll just tell you one more. You could tell this wasn't planned at all! The waitress was called up to be a volunteer. Now, I hate this waitress. I've seen her with Cremia a few times, but I've never introduced myself. She's the worst, so believe me when I say that she got up on stage, stand there, and then the head Sorcerer made her disappear and reappear behind the bar."

"I'm sure that's exactly where she wanted to end up again," Link said with unmasked sarcasm.

Malon glared at him and he stayed silent. "She reappeared, Link. Like, serious magic stuff."

Link raised his eyebrows. Though he was interested, he didn't believe in magic. "You'll have to tell me next time there's a show."

Malon's lips turned completely and she nodded. "They said they'd be back around soon. We can go together, if you want."

Link thought for a minute, knowing exactly what she was suggesting. He liked Malon, sure, but he didn't want to complicate his already difficult work situation. "Yeah," he said finally, hoping he sounded more friendly than anything else. "Sure. Just let me know when."

From the look on her face, it didn't. "Great! I'll see if I can figure that out!" Her face had begun to brighten, and she nodded to the shed inside the corral. "There's a little hole over there. Do you mind giving it a temporary patch until I can run into town?"

"Of course," he said, spinning the brush in his hand as he walked to the shed. He was thankful that everything he'd need was already inside: a piece of cut wood, and tools. The hole was small, but large enough for an unwanted wild animal to slide through if it were hungry. His fix didn't have to last, it just had to be good enough. They never used the old planks to repair permanently, preferring to go into town for special quality materials which he would replace this patch job with.

As he began to hammer the wood into place, he could feel his back burning with the feeling of being watched. Resisting the urge to turn around, he continued working. His thoughts drifted to Malon quickly. Could he see himself working at these two ranches forever? Could he be here with her? And the more he thought about it, the more he wasn't sure he could.

Link finished the patch job before finally looking behind him.

Malon turned away quickly, her attention back on the horse, but Link sat back against the shed and crossed his arms until she glanced back at him.

She laughed, knowing she'd been caught. "Fine! I've been found out!" she called across the field. Link smiled with her before standing up, brushing himself off, and returning to his tasks for the rest of the day.

* * *

Zelda stared up at the massive bridge that led into Castle Town. She'd woken early to begin the trek she took each year. Before she crossed, she made sure that the coin purse she'd secured over her shoulder was still safely hidden under her shall as she pulled it close and made her way into the bustling city.

Even in the early hours, when only business owners, ranch hands, and parents had to be awake, it seemed Castle Town was the exception to the rule. People mulled around, banging their bodies against her, trying to get their morning chores done quickly. She fought back, ramming her shoulder roughly against those who wouldn't give her space.

As she walked through the streets, she could see the divide in quality. At the entrances to Castle Town, it was beautiful, clean, marble and full of shops, but the further in to the town, the more impoverished the people became, and the entire city's underbelly became exposed. In truth, the poor outnumbered the rich in Castle Town. It was the most affordable place in the kingdom of Hyrule, and also the most expensive, depending on where you wanted to live.

Zelda knew this all too well as she narrowly avoided a mouse running across her foot as she ducked into a sketchy alley. But she was at her destination and opened the door cautiously. The man at the desk stared at her with disdain.

She tried to force a polite wave, but he wouldn't have it. Zelda wasn't in the mood to dive into small talk anyway. "I'm here to see my father."

The man turned to someone with a broom. "Tell Meeko that Princess is here to see Daltus again."

It took all her self-control to remain calm at his use of the cruel nickname he'd come up with. "And," she added, "I have all the money we owe."

A few moments later, a tall woman with dark circles under her eyes came out. "You again."

Zelda held up her hand apologetically before reaching for her purse. "I have it this time. Don't worry."

The woman, Meeko, took the rupees and nodded her approval. "Alright then. Come on. It's not a good day for him."

Zelda followed down a long hallway that she knew well and turned the knob of a door, grimacing as she stepped inside. Her eyes landed on the sink. "Will his days get better now that you've been paid?"

Meeko didn't need to see what she meant. "Yeah, now that we're getting paid to do a job we didn't volunteer for, they will."

Meeko left, closing the door behind her and leaving Zelda alone. She crept through the quiet house until she could see a body sitting limply in a chair. A shattered bottle was on the ground beside him.

Before waking him, Zelda quickly found the broom and swept the glass into the barrel before kneeling in front of the man. He had a decent length white hair with a full accompanying white beard.

"Daddy, it's me. Wake up."

She shook him with a deal of strength before he finally stirred. "Mmm…Cassia? Is that you?"

"It's Zelda."

He opened his eyes, staring into Zelda's for a moment. With a visibly disappointed sigh, he rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Oh, leave me alone about it, girl. They're not from today," he muttered.

Zelda glanced around again. All the empty bottles…

"It's Cassia's birthday. Did you want to go visit with me?"

"Mhhmmm," he muttered, standing up with a wobble. "Where is she again?"

"Ikana. It's not far."

He stumbled into the other room, returning a few minutes later in a fresh outfit, though Zelda doubted the true freshness of it.

"Dad," she whispered, putting a large purple rupee on his table. "This is for your medicine. I mean it… not for anything else. Okay?"

"Medicine. I hear you, Cass."

With a sad smile, Zelda wrapped her arm around his and led him outside. He blinked away the sun, clutching Zelda for support.

"Excuse me," she said, each time they passed a cart. "Are you going to Termina?"

They gave her funny looks and moved on with their day, for the most part. But one woman stopped and waved her over.

"I couldn't help but hear you're headed to Termina? I'm going to a pickup at Gerudo Valley, right on the boarder. Is that good, hon? I can give both of you a ride that far."

Zelda held out her hand. "Thank you, that's actually perfect."

Ikana and Gerudo Valley were apart of the same hill formation, though one led into the desert while the other was… more hills.

The woman winked, tossing her red hair over her shoulder and tying it up high as she loaded the last of her things into her wagon. "Name's Telma. What's yours?"

* * *

Link couldn't have felt more relieved when his time at the ranch was up. He'd been itching to ride out to Castle Town to start his inquiry. He'd told Malon about his plan, hoping she'd have any information, or at least let him leave early. Neither were to be true.

The road to Castle town wasn't as busy as he'd have liked. It meant that people weren't travelling in or out of the town, and his search might take longer. He hoped, not so secretly, that he could figure out where the strange woman was meant to be headed before his uncle or Rusl.

But his head jerked up when he noticed a familiar carriage heading into town from the distance. He raced to meet it, trotting Epona alongside the carriage. "Telma. How are you?"

Telma's eyes widened in joyful shock. "Hey, hon! What are you doing out so early? I'd think you would be racing to one ranch or the other at this hour!"

"I took a half day. Did you?"

With a shrug and a wink, she tossed her hair back over her shoulder. "Well, I had some business to attend to near Gerudo Valley. Now I've got myself some nice new stock. I gave this poor girl a lift to Termina. Ghastly family problems, that one. I hope she'll be alright. I almost wanted to wait for her just to be safe."

"Did she have white hair?" he asked, throwing it out there.

Telma laughed. "Looking for an older woman now, are you? Sorry there, hon. I may have a few grey strands, but I'm waiting on your uncle to come around."

"He's in town you know. It's possible he might just stop by."

Her eyes widened. "He is not!" With a playfully dramatic adjustment to her hair and clothes she made herself more comfortable. "I'll have to keep the door open then."

"Goddesses," Link muttered with a grin.

For all Telma's flirtations, she'd never dreamed of following up on anything serious with Link's uncle, Tarin. They'd once been old friends when he was a stationed knight in Castle Town. And despite their equal fondness for flirting with one another, they were never anything more.

"Telma," Link said with a smirk, trying not to laugh at the thought of Tarin coming in later, "I have a few questions for you, actually. Mind if I ask them now?"

Telma, who hadn't stopped her horse and cart, nodded, gesturing to town as they neared the bridge. "Walk and talk, my friend. I'll answer what I can."

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask. What if I was going to ask about illegal goings on in your bar?"

She turned to him with an amusingly baffled look. "First, I'd be happy to tell you all about that. You want to join them, hon? You're not a knight, thank goodness, so I can spill my heart out to you and you can't shut me down. Your uncle might loosen my lips too much, though."

"Great," Link muttered, trying to erase any traces of the visual image she'd left him. "Actually, we have an injured woman in our village. She came stumbling in, half dressed. Her hair was white, violet eyes. Does that sound like someone you've seen?"

They'd gone into town by now and headed down the alley to Telma's Bar. Hopping of the horse, she grabbed a crate from the cart and handed it to Link before grabbing another, placing it down the steps, and repeating until she'd unloaded her cart, all while talking to Link.

"Was she… undressed purposely? I mean to say, was she running from something, or was her outfit just too city for you villagers?"

"She- I mean… it looked… purposeful," he stuttered.

Telma's expression eased and she watched Link with admiration. "Gosh, hon, you're almost as cute as your uncle when you stutter and get all nervous."

"Wonderful…" he said, opening the door for her as they carried her things inside.

Telma spotted one of her employees wiping the ground. "Hey, Pen, min bringing my horse and carriage to the stables?" She nodded and headed out the door. Setting down a box, she went back for another. "Was she older? White hair?"

"No, she's young. She said her name was Cia."

Shaking her head, Telma sighed. "Never heard that name. Sorry, hon. What color did you say her eyes were again?"

"Violet."

Telma rested against the bar. "That's awfully unusual of an eye color. I only know maybe two people I've ever met with purple eyes. One's a girl in town. Her name is Agitha. You may want to check on her. I truly have complete faith it isn't her that's in you village, but perhaps it's a relative? The only other person I've seen was a man. He dressed very unusually, even for an outsider. We Hylians aren't fussy with clothes, but this man was dressed in a long cape that covered the whole length of him and to the floor, and his pants were ballooned down and striped. Told me he was apart of some touring magic act and he was scouting out my bar as a place to perform. You know I don't take performers like that, so I turned him down. Stunning purple eyes. A few weeks later, they were back and performed at Malo Mart. Unforgettable man, he was. Ask Chudley about him."

Link nodded, taking it all in. "Alright. I'll start with Agitha and then head to Malo Mart if she doesn't know anything."

"If you're still here later, swing by. Others may know more."

"I can't," Link said, visibly upset. He needed a night off soon, one that wouldn't require him to wake up early the next morning. "With my uncle here, Aryll will be upset if no one's home with her."

"Poor thing."

Link nodded, thinking about his sister's fear. He'd have to get home sooner than later for her sake. "We were thinking of bringing my grandmother down for a while."

"It might help her."

Muttering his agreement, Link bowed to Telma, a reflex he still hadn't trained himself out of from his time with the Knights of Hyrule. "I'll let you know if I figure anything out."

"Thanks, hon. I'll tell your uncle your progress when he comes in here later," she said with a quick wink as Link rushed out the door.

* * *

Though she made the trip to Ikana whenever she could, Zelda never grew used to it. The looming walls of hunkering stone was unnerving enough, but the racing river that could sweep a person away under the shoddy rope bridge was always concerning. She was thankful that she wouldn't be crossing it.

Instead, she led her father just to the left of it.

"Where are we going?" he asked, suddenly enraged that Zelda was leading him anywhere.

"To see Cassia. It's her birthday."

"I don't want to go!" he burst out, wrenching his arm from hers. "I won't!"

Zelda patiently nodded. "That's fine. You don't have to."

Taking a few steps, she stopped when she heard his steps following her.

"Are you going to leave me here?"

She turned. "I'm going. To see Cassia."

"Well," he said, hurrying alongside her, "Take me with you then! What are you thinking leaving me back there?"

They'd barely walked a few steps when he began looking around. "This isn't where Zelda lives."

"Come on," Zelda gently urged. He was always worse after he'd been drinking, and the empty bottles around his home had suggested as much.

They walked slowly into the clearing and Daltus snatched his arm from his daughter again.

"What are you bringing me to _this_ place for? You said we were visiting Cassia! You tricked me! You want me dead! Get away from me you ungrateful curse!"

Zelda crossed her arms and kept walking, knowing he'd follow her eventually, which he did.

As Zelda neared her destination, she saw an older woman curled up in prickly grass.

"Aunt Aerla?"

The woman's head shot up, her eyes narrowing, despite the puffy redness that almost forced them to widen just to see clearly. "You came."

"I do every year, yes."

Daltus pushed his daughter to the side as he moved to rush at Arela, throwing himself into her arms. "My dear! You're here! You're alive! Sweet Lyddie, where have you been?"

"Dad…" Zelda muttered, looking down at the dirt, but Aerla held up her hand.

"Daltus, it's Aerla. Lyddie is still dead. We've come to honor the dead today."

Daltus followed her gaze and fell to his knees. Zelda cupped her mouth in her hands, choking back a sob. Seeing Cassia's name on the headstone was never easy, no matter how often she came to visit her sister's grave. For the past five years, she hadn't managed a single visit without breaking down.

She could still remember her sister as if she'd been standing in front of her moments ago. She was effortlessly beautiful. Her smile could have ended wars. She would tie her long blonde hair up on top of her head, letting strands fall into perfect positions that framed her delicate face.

More than that, she could still feel Cassia's hand in hers, urging her to be strong when their mother had died. Her false smile was enough to put a real one on Zelda's face, even in their darkest moments. She'd been like a mother, she'd been her sister, and she'd been her best friend.

"To see such promise gone at her young age… it's the greatest shame," Aerla said, rubbing Daltus' shoulder. She'd been Lydia's sister, not Daltus'.

Zelda could remember something about books. There were always books in her room, though what exactly she'd been studying wouldn't come to Zelda at that moment.

"She may have been married with a family of her own now," Aerla said, louder this time. She wanted to make sure Zelda could hear.

As if Zelda didn't want to crumble at the memory as it was. Her guilt was crushing, overwhelming at times.

But Aerla didn't care. "What she could have done for this world… the people she may have still helped. She was unlike any other. Her death was uncalled for. It was preventable. She didn't have to die!"

Zelda's eyes had welled up and over, clamping her nose to prevent herself from sobbing aloud. She could barely feel her legs.

"I know," Daltus muttered. "I remember."

Zelda could still remember it perfectly. She could hear Cassia warning her not to go into the construction area, which most people had been carefully navigating around, taking the longer ways. Being a fifteen-year-old know-it-all, Zelda had flaunted Cassia's concern, wandering close to the building being built. There was not tape, no way to block off citizens. It was a matter of smarts, and Zelda had been going through a phase, determined to be right at any cost.

She could hear the commotion, the materials clattering to the ground. It was as if everyone around her could see what was about to happen, shouts from the onlookers ringing through her ears. But the only voice she could truly hear was Cassia's. She'd felt her sister's arms wrap around her, lifting her around before shoving her body out of the way just before the impact.

Zelda had seen it all as it happened. And she could see it again as she stared at the stone. She couldn't stop her body from shaking, but it was her aunt and her father who brought her to her knees, both still spiteful over Zelda's callous role in Cassia's death.

"She shouldn't have died!" Aerla wailed. "It shouldn't have been her! It shouldn't have been her!"

Daltus nodded along with her, causing Zelda's heart to break all over again. No matter what she did, or how hard she tried, she'd never be enough to fill their hearts. To them, she was little more than a murderer.

And Zelda felt no different about herself.

* * *

Link blinked in the light that all but blinded him as he walked into Malo Mart. Vibrant blues and golds brightened up the place from the stiff interior that it used to be when it was Celeeb. It was a far cry from what Link had been used to when he'd patrolled the streets of Castle Town in his knighthood. Whenever Link visited Malo Mart in Old Kakariko, he was always sure to get something with the name, that way, he could show his own Malo back in Ordon. Malo's dream was to take over the market franchise one day. But today was not the day for buying trinkets.

He'd tried Agitha's house on the west side of town twice, but the girl didn't answer his call. He'd heard talk of Agitha and her eccentric hobbies, but it seemed he wasn't going to meet the infamous bug collector today.

A man in a long, pink vest with a horn for a hat danced up to Link. "Welcome to MAAAAA-LOOOO MART!"

Link flinched away from the dancing man. "Are you Chudley?"

"Yes, I am! How may I help you today?"

"Actually," Link started, getting slightly dizzy as he watched the man sway back and forth, "I was wondering if you knew a woman named Cia?"

Chudley didn't even hesitate. "Never!"

"That was worth a shot. What about an act you hired a little while ago? Travelling magicians, or something?"

"Ahh yes! They were called The Sorcerers! They brought quite a few customers in!"

Link's head was hurting from the energized near-scream that Chudley always seemed to speak in. "Can you tell me anything about them? Specifically, where they went next or would be now?"

"That was some real magic, it was! I've never seen anything quite as spectacular. In fact, I got the entire schedule from them! I'd planned to go to their show in Clocktown yesterday, but alas! I was called to fill in."

"So, they're in Clocktown now? And one of the members has violet eyes?"

"Oh he did!" Chudley said. "He was very striking! All three of them were. They looked Labrynnian, or something."

"Do you know where they're going after Clocktown?"

Chudley's demeanor changed and he looked posher and more stuck up, indignant. He could have been working at Celeeb. "If I knew off the top of my head, I would have told you. I have their schedule at home, but I'm not running out of work to get it for you. So either buy something, or accept that they were in Clocktown yesterday and you missed the show as well!"

Link took a step back as the man's smile turned back on. "I think that's all I needed to know. Thank you."

Link went to leave and hurried out the door, hearing Chudley muttering something about window shoppers.

Checking the sun's position, Link knew he wanted to head back to Ordon, back to Aryll. He got on Epona and set off.

It felt like hours had passed. He was tired and the ride took too long for his liking. He'd wished he'd gotten to see his uncle in town, but he was not upset with the information he did get. He'd asked a few others about Cia while he wandered the streets, but few people take kindly to a stranger questioning them without a uniform on. He decided to do what he could with the information he'd gotten. He'd head to Clocktown in the morning.

Beyond relief at the sight of Faron Woods, Link finally perked up. He'd quickly run in to Mayor Bo's to tell him what had happened, and then he'd stop back at his house to see if Aryll had anything she wanted to do.

But when Link cleared the boarder into Ordon, he could see the townsfolk panicking. He rode faster and jumped off near Beth.

"What's happening?"

"I didn't do it, I swear! I didn't see anything!"

"What?" he asked, bending down next to her. He looked around for Ilia, she'd be close for sure and let him know. "What happened? Where's Ilia?"

Beth burst into tears. "She went… I can't!" Running back into her house, Link felt compelled to follow her, but chose not to. Instead, he ran for Bo's.

Standing over a map, Bo was mumbling to himself when Link walked in.

"Bo, what's going on around here? Where's Ilia?"

Bo turned around, his face sunken in with sorrow and lined with worry. "Link, I'm sorry. We're doing everything we can to find her."

"Where did Ilia go?" he asked again, worry rising in his throat.

Bo shook his head. "It's not Ilia, she's safe. But Cia's gone missing… and so has Aryll."

* * *

 _A/N: Well! That chapter was super positive and upbeat!_

 _Zelda's sections were a bit emotionally dark but necessary for her character and you can hopefully start to see where many of her motivations come from. Link, on the other hand, has got some plot really rolling! Also, I'm not a detective so yeah… their investigation into Cia rests on her connection to people with violet eyes. I'm not quitting my day job._

 _Updates for now are probably going to be once a week for a little while instead of two a week like the last few were._


End file.
